Urban Meyer and his Ohio State staff hit the recruiting trail each year seeking to fill specific needs, but they also are looking for a few good men.

They are known as “athletes” in the parlance of modern college football, players who could end up at any number of positions through their college careers. The Buckeyes signed at least three this year — Darron Lee of New Albany, Christopher Worley of Cleveland Glenville and Gareon Conley of Massillon. They have one on the hook for 2014 and some more in their sights.

“It depends on where you’re at” in terms of stocking the cupboard, Meyer said. “The only thing I can relate it to is like when we were at Florida where we had a lot of ‘athletes,’ right now we’re behind on ‘athletes’ at Ohio State.

“Like on special teams, and guys with what we call ‘safety bodies,’ that’s why we had so much trouble on special teams. So this year we went out and tried to find those ’tweener guys who can play a lot of positions.”

Lee was an extraordinary dual-threat quarterback and running back at New Albany who also excelled as a hard-hitting defensive back. The recruiting analysts projected him as a safety once he gets to OSU, but he said recently that he will wait to learn his assignment.

“I honestly don’t know right now what I will end up doing,” Lee said.

“But … I feel the coaches are going to put me in the right position, whether that’s hitting people and picking the ball off, or whether it’s having the ball in my hands and getting hit and scoring touchdowns. It’s a wait-and-see thing.”

He didn’t see that as being slighted in the recruiting process.

“I think it’s a credit to my versatility,” Lee said. “They have seen I can do multiple things on the field, and I think they are going to use that to their advantage.”

Conley and Worley will be in similar shoes when they arrive. Conley, who didn’t start playing football seriously until his sophomore year, was a cornerback as a junior, and then a wide receiver and cornerback as a senior. He excelled at both.

“The Ohio State coaches just told me just learn both,” Conley said.

Worley knows the coaches have him ticketed preliminarily as a challenger for the “star” position, the fifth defensive back in the nickel defense who can swing up and play the run or drop into coverage. He also knows the coaches believe he can grow into being an outside linebacker in the next few years.

“I am willing to play wherever they think they need me,” Worley said. “I just want to get on the field.”

Jalin Marshall, a five-star prospect from Middletown, Ohio, played quarterback for the Middies. When he signed this month with OSU, he was projected as a slot back or a wide receiver. It’s the versatility that intrigues Meyer and his staff.

Parris Campbell committed to OSU’s class of 2014 a week ago. He’s a running back at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, but he said he is keeping his options open in terms of a college position. After all, he’s just 15 “and my body hasn’t fully developed yet.”

But he already has a 10.62-second time in the 100 meters, and he’s probably not going to get slower.

OSU also is after several other “athletes” for 2014, including highly coveted Jabrill Peppers from Paramus (Catholic), N.J. He is ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, and he was the Bergen Record offensive player of the year. He is projected to be a cornerback in college by most analysts.